


Guardians

by Morgana



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2013-05-23
Packaged: 2017-12-12 07:06:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/808708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morgana/pseuds/Morgana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes the guardians need a little guarding of their own</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guardians

They stumbled into the hotel room, dirty and aching from head to toe, weary in that bone-deep way that humans got when they hadn't slept for more than a few hours at a time in days. Castiel followed them in, dimly recognizing that he wasn't in much better shape himself. He sank down into one of the chairs provided, listening without hearing as the two brothers bickered tiredly over who got the first shower.  
  
Sam won, and Castiel was familiar enough with the family dynamics to know that ordinarily he would've lingered until all the hot water was gone, but apparently tonight he was too tired to bother. He emerged within minutes, damp and tousled, clad in a pair of sweatpants with the name of his former college stenciled on one leg. Dean didn't even bother to toss out his usual comment about Sam's girly fashion before he disappeared into the bathroom for his own quick shower.  
  
After Dean came out, the brothers traded half-hearted banter as they settled down onto their beds, but it wasn't long before their eyes drifted shut and their breathing evened out. Castiel forced himself to his feet, mentally girding himself for the nightly battle with the things that hunted his charges in their sleep when a strong pair of hands pushed him back down, and a low, familiar voice murmured, "Not tonight, brother."  
  
He looked up into a smile that had always meant warmth and safety and comfort, and he wanted to weep. "Michael?"  
  
His brother lightly touched his cheek, then turned towards Dean Winchester's bed. Behind him, Gabriel appeared, standing over the sleeping form of Sam Winchester. "We're taking watch tonight." He grinned at him, and before Castiel could react, a large piece of banana cream pie and a thick chocolate milkshake appeared in front of him.  
  
He was too stunned to do more than shake his head, staring numbly at the table when the dessert vanished. "Does this mean... am I no longer needed?" His throat felt odd, closed and choked, and he wondered when it was that Heaven had decided he'd failed.  
  
Michael shook his head. "You are their guardian, Castiel; you always have been."  
  
"But sometimes the guardians need a little guarding of their own," Gabriel added. It was eerie to see them together again, to hear them finishing each other's thoughts the way they used to before Lucifer fell and tore Heaven and their family asunder. Castiel wondered if this was why they'd gone their separate ways afterward, if the bond they'd shared had been too painful when they both knew it would never be complete again, and he gave silent thanks that he never had to suffer that kind of loss.  
  
For now, however, they're here, stationed at the beds of the two men fighting to save the world and each other, and Castiel could only watch, awestruck, as the archangels of God spread their wings out over the beds of the Winchesters and sent light sweeping through the room to chase the shadows away. And he knew that for one night, at least, the brothers would find peace.  
  
All of them.


End file.
